Medtronic Vascular, Inc.

Christopher Murphy

Gerry Oliver McCaffrey

Fiachra Sweeney

Barry O'Connell

Sean Ward

John Kelly

A catheter, such as a fractional flow reserve catheter, includes an elongate shaft having a proximal end optionally coupled to a handle or luer fitting and a distal end having a distal opening. A pressure sensing wire extends to the distal portion of the elongate shaft to be coupled to a pressure sensor mounted on the distal end for measuring a pressure of a fluid within lumen of vessel. The pressure sensor wire is disposed within a pocket formed adjacent to the pressure sensor thereby minimizing the profile of the catheter. Bending or flexing stress or strain experienced by a pressure sensor mounted to a fractional flow reserve catheter when tracking the catheter through the vasculature creates a distortion of the sensor resulting in an incorrect pressure reading or bend error. In order to isolate the sensor from bending or flexing stress and strain, the sensor is mounted so that the sensor is spaced apart from the elongate shaft of the catheter.

Microcatheter sensor design for mounting sensor to minimize induced strain

Bending stresses experienced by a pressure sensor mounted to a fractional flow reserve catheter when tracking the catheter through the vasculature creates a distortion of the sensor resulting in an incorrect pressure reading or bend error. In order to isolate the sensor from bending stresses, the sensor is mounted with one end coupled to the distal end of the shaft while the other end of the sensor is not coupled to the catheter so that a portion of the sensor is spaced apart from the distal end of the shaft.

Pressure measuring catheter having reduced error from bending stresses

A catheter, such as a fractional flow reserve catheter, includes an elongate shaft having a pressure sensing wire extending to the distal portion of the elongate shaft. The wire has a pressure sensor mounted on the distal end for measuring a pressure of a fluid within lumen of vessel. The pressure sensor wire is disposed within a pocket formed adjacent to the pressure sensor thereby minimizing the profile of the catheter. Bending stresses experienced by a pressure sensor mounted to a fractional flow reserve catheter when tracking the catheter through the vasculature creates a distortion of the sensor resulting in an incorrect pressure reading or bend error. In order to isolate the sensor from bending stresses, the sensor is spaced apart from the pressure sensor wire to allow the pressure sensor and the pressure sensor wire to move independently from one another.

Microcatheter sensor design for minimizing profile and impact of wire strain on sensor

A processing system received data from a Fractional Flow Reserve device and communicates data to a conventional hemodynamic monitoring system having pressure displays. The processing system receives proximal pressure measurement signal from an aortic pressure measurement device and a distal pressure measurement signal from a distal pressure measurement device. A processor computes an FFR ratio from the proximal pressure measurement signal and the distal pressure measurement signal, and converts FFR ratio to a pressure format such that the FFR ratio reads on the conventional hemodynamic monitoring system as a pressure in units of pressure. The processing system transmits the proximal pressure measurement signal, the distal pressure measurement signal, and the FFR ratio in pressure format to the conventional hemodynamic monitoring system.

System and method of integrating a fractional flow reserve device with a conventional hemodynamic monitoring system

A catheter is disclosed for providing a pressure measurement at a vascular lesion. The catheter includes a tubular component having dual lumens along at least a segment thereof in which a first lumen acts as a pressure inlet and a second lumen allows the catheter to be tracked over a guidewire. A plurality of openings are located along a distal segment of the tubular component that permit blood flow into the first lumen when disposed in vivo. A pressure sensor is located within a handle component of the catheter or within the tubular component to be in fluid communication with a proximal end of the first lumen. When the catheter is positioned at the vascular lesion, the first lumen fills with blood via the plurality of openings such that the pressure sensor is able to sense a pressure of the blood at a distal end of the catheter.

Dual lumen catheter for providing a vascular pressure measurement

A catheter is disclosed for providing pressure measurements at a vascular lesion. The catheter includes an outer component having a side opening the providing transverse access to a lumen thereof and an inner component slidably disposed within the lumen. The inner component has a guidewire lumen with a proximal side port. When the inner component is longitudinally translated relative to the outer component, the side port of the inner component is accessible through the side opening of the outer component for providing transverse access to a guidewire. A first pressure sensor is disposed proximate of a distal end of the outer component and a second pressure sensor is disposed proximate of a distal end of the inner component, such that relative longitudinal translation between the inner and outer components permits a distance between the first and second pressure sensors to be varied.

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Ballybrit, Ireland

Christopher Murphy